Give Thanks

Maybe it is the fact that the days are getting shorter or that there is now a chill in the air but everything feels like it slows down in November. November changes everything. It is the month that we ponder all the blessings that surround us throughout the year but rarely acknowledge. We find ourselves looking for reasons to be thankful and even better we share what we are thankful for.

I am so excited about this November because there is so much to be joyful and thankful for. My kids are all healthy and happy. I am finding my way and my voice. I am starting down new paths were the unknown feels more like an adventure than fear. I am so grateful that I learned I can do hard things this year. There are two things that I am embracing this November.

First: I am doing a photo challenge on Instagram:

You can follow me on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/insearchofglitter/

Every morning I get up and look to see what I am supposed to be grateful for and spend the day thinking about that one thing and sending energetic thank you to everyone who helps me live this beautiful life.

Two: I give thanks to my body by moving it every day for at least an hour!  I follow Abby Wambach on Instagram and she started posting photos about getting in an hour of working out before noon every day for the month of November. I suffer from chronic illness so I am always hesitant to start anything like this because the last thing I want to do is find myself unable to finish strong. One of my main lessons this year is to embrace being imperfect. It is better to try and to fail, then to never try. Now, I know we are less than a week into November but so far I have been able to accomplish this.  I listen to what my body tells me it needs. The other day it was gentle yoga for an hour, yesterday it was 40 minutes walking and then an hour of Zumba. My body was like move me! So that is what I did.

I am so thankful for this beautifully broken body. It has been beaten, bruised, used, caressed, loved, created three beautiful souls, nourished those beautiful souls for years, almost died, suffered from chronic illness, but more importantly, it has loved and been loved through it all. This vessel has witnessed a thousand stories, shed a million tears, laughed so hard that it couldn’t breathe. This body has been on a journey and I am so grateful that it is hanging in there, even when I doubt or want to give in. It keeps fighting. And when I am not strong enough or doubt, I am blessed with people in my life who send me love notes like this:

Stay quiet, be sick. You can do this. You are supposed to be here ♥️

I am supposed to be here!

I now have this phrase written around my house on sticky notes and on my phone and I still cry when I read it.  This challenge is my love letter to my body for all that it has survived and accomplished, and for all it will accomplish.

I encourage you to do your own gratitude challenge. You can follow mine or make your own. November is the perfect time to remember all the beautiful reasons we have to be grateful and to make time to honor them, even if they are beautifully broken.

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